apple tart, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

one of the things I love the MOST about our new house is the giant kitchen. We’ve spent the last two years living with a skinny-minnie galley kitchen that meant that really, only one person could be present in the kitchen at any given time, and there would be no trying to squeeze past just to get that extra glass of water. Multiple person cooking in our house became a bit of an extreme sport for a while there.

This killed my cooking spirit. Who would want to cook in a place where you couldn’t even turn around in a full circle? Thankfully, I’m back to baking, and ready for action with this new place of ours – with it’s little eat-in nook, generous counter space and (claps hands!) gas stove, it’s just perfect for making messes and yummy things in!

It’s brett’s birthday today (happy birthday!) and he totally hates fuss, so I am sure to be in trouble later for announcing it on the internet (everybody wish brett a happy birthday!), and it’s a bit of a tradition in our house for me to make him a birthday pie.

This year, we have fancy dinner plans with family, so birthday pie because a bigger, taller order with a pie to share and a pie to horde for ourselves.

So, last night I set about making an apple tart (courtesy of this recipe from SmittenKitchen) for tonight’s dinner. And it worked! The only trouble has been that the tart has been sitting on my desk all day, waiting to get taken to (and devoured at) dinner. I would highly recommend *not* storing pie on your desk, as it forces you to do nothing but think about eating pie. All. Day. Long. Exquisite torture. Especially when it looks like this:

ta da!, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

Sometimes in your career, you get lucky and you get the chance to work with people who are SO phenomenally talented that you can’t help but want to hate them a little because they are so freaking talented. Except then, they’re also extremely *nice* and all-around super, and will gossip with you about new cameras and pantone swatches, and bring you coffee, which completely blows your ability to hate them for their unbelievable talent right out of the water. So instead, you just sit around in utter AWE that you get to be a part of whatever amazing thing they are working on. And they inspire you to try to make things that are hopefully just a fraction as good as the work they do themselves. Creativity and awesomeness begets creativity and awesomeness. Or at least you hope so!

My last job, since it was related to video, and broadcast TV, and movies and all things design was full of talented people. Talented people everywhere! But none more talented than Mark Coleran, who I was lucky enough to share an office wall with for at least a few months before that job almost killed me. See also: best job I ever had, despite the near death experience.

He has a new show reel. You will kick yourself if you don’t watch it. Especially if, say, you watched a movie in a theatre, at least once, in the last ten years. Do it.

moving? have an affinity for cardboard? like to be super organized with all your favourite things packed away?

If this is you, I totally have what you are looking for……boxes!

Rather than just send the remainder of our moving boxes off to recycling heaven, we’re offering them up….free to a good home if you can pick them up. There are about 15 boxes – tall ones, short ones, business boxes, all used only once.

Leave me a comment or send me an email (robyn @ mintyfresh . ca) if you want to give these boxes a good home!